


Impossible Is A Fool's Word

by simplysalty



Series: Deserved Rest [2]
Category: Captain Tsubasa (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Drabbles, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, kind of?, napoleon is just a dumbass in general, takes place a bit before and during the world youth arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 12:30:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 5,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21036266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplysalty/pseuds/simplysalty
Summary: An annoying blond boy discovers he likes the kind of girl that can kick his ass.





	1. Chapter 1

_Napoleon, give that back before I gut you._

He'd always loved that defiant look in her eyes, no matter how much he may tease or antagonize her. He could still remember when he first ran into her, the sister of one of the players he'd beaten up. Never in his life had Louis gotten such a nasty punch from a girl. He wasn't kidding - he had a bruise there for days. He was almost perversely elated when he saw her in his class on his first day of high school, immediately taking to bugging the girl constantly.

_Make me, princess._

Louis laughed when her brow twitched, the hands she had on her hips almost clenching into fists.

_I guess it doesn't hurt to break a few bones._

The blond had long since learned she never really meant it. Louis was fully expecting that pelvis kick he got, making him choke and keel over, but he knew the girl wouldn't really hurt him so badly as to send him to the Emergency Room. She crouched down casually and snatched her phone back, expression deadpan as the blond groaned.

_This is pointless, you're not gonna have kids at this rate._

_With the amount of times you've karate kicked me straight in the dick? Pretty sure I lost that a while ago._

She snorts, slipping her phone into her pocket before standing and walking back to her desk.

_Are you coming to practice today?_

It's almost baffling to their classmates how they can change the subject so easily.

_Only if Pierre's going to be there. He's the only guy in this whole city who can save me from the migraine that is you._

_ Love you too, princess._

An airborne eraser nails him right between the eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

_Three days in a row, you've showed up with your face beat in. What'd you do this time, dunce?_

Louis clicks his tongue, turning away from her with a light scowl. He doesn't like the look she's giving him, the way she is scanning the bruises and single band-aid on his face. If it's not her giving them to him, she gets suspicious.

_Got into a few fights._

_ No shit, Leon. Who were they?_

He doesn't answer for a moment, debating whether or not to tell her. But Louis knows she'd grill him until he spat it out anyways.

_Some punks from Jeanne-Jahr Senior High._

_Oh. So this is revenge for defeating them in a friendly practice match five days ago._

_ Never seen a sorer loser in my life._

_ They'll give up eventually._

The next morning, what would have been the fourth day of fighting, there was no one at that intersection. He blinks in confusion when he sees a familiar girl standing there leaning on a fence. When she sees him, she casually raises a hand in greeting.

_You gonna kick me in the dick again?_

Louis jokes as he stops a few feet away from the young woman. He earns himself a scoff, but there's an amused glint in her eyes.

_Nah, I've had enough of that for the day. I'll settle with my fist hitting your ugly mug instead._

They walk to school as they begin their perpetual squabble, passing pedestrians so accustomed to this by now they didn't even bat an eye. The blond pretends he hasn't noticed the faint traces of a wiped away nosebleed on the girl's face, slight stains of red on her knuckles and shoes.


	3. Chapter 3

Elle Sid had dragged him to some swimming marathon competition thing that he frankly didn't care much for. Louis was half keen on just leaving, giving the excuse that he was off to find the bathroom, but that all slipped away entirely when he saw a familiar figure standing in the hall. The blond actually paused, blinking owlishly. She stopped as well, eyes locking with his.

A moment of silence passes before he manages to speak.

_You swim?_

_ You play soccer?_

She retorts, rolling her eyes as she gestures to the swimsuit she's wearing. She already has her swim cap on, goggles propped on her forehead, standing with her unzipped jacket. Louis can't deny that he's a bit surprised by this new information.

So _this_ is why Elle Sid forced him to come here.

_Yeah, I'm in our school's swim team._

_ How long have you been swimming?_

_ Probably around seven years at this point._

Louis stands there for a moment in a thoughtful silence, rubbing his chin contemplatively.

_ Huh. No wonder you've got such thicc thighs._

He gets another dick kick but doesn't take his words back, even as he keels over almost comically. Louis notes how good her legs look from this angle as she storms off, collapsed on the floor.

When he tells her she's got a nice ass the next day, he has to go to the nurse with a broken nose. The medical graduate complains about the rowdy and out-of-hand behavior of the school's senior year students, but Louis just offers a cheeky grin.

That flaming red blush on her face was well worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey blondies. I got you some water._

She tosses the two main players of the French Youth team a bottle each, the water condensing on the outside, Louis almost wincing from how cold it is compared to the heat of the midday sun and the hot air coming out of his exhausted body. Elle Side smiles weakly, but it's genuinely grateful when he catches one.

_Ah, thank you._

_Thanks, princess._

_ I'm not gonna bother trying to tell you to stop calling me that._

The onlooking midfielder chuckles softly at the other two before tilting his head back to down a good third of the bottle in one go. Louis winces when he tries to open his bottle. He stares at his hands, watching his fingers tremble from fatigue, from how tightly he's clenched them while doing countless shots at the goal.

_Fucking hell - gimme that._

The girl snatches the bottle from him, something between a frown and a scowl on her face as she opens it easily. When he reaches out to take it back, though, she whacks him upside the head.

_Ow! What was that for?!_

_ Just open your mouth. You obviously can't hold this thing yourself._

Louis stares at her blankly for a moment, surprised, before trying to push down the grin that is trying to make is way onto his face. She sighs when he fails, snagging his jaw with one hand and yanking him forward. The blond almost chokes when the girl tilts the bottle, water beginning to flow. Elle Sid watches them with light surprise when Louis finally gives in, relaxing a little and swallowing probably around half the bottle before the teenage woman pulled it away from his lips.

The blond practically gasps for breath, coughing once as his eyes kept trailed to her form. He stands a few moments later, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Then he smirks.

The girl scoffs, but both players can see the ghost of a smile on her face. She nudges him in the side, back to the grass.

_Get your sweaty asses back on the field. You've got a long way to go before you can compete with the best of the best._

_Got it, princess._

She doesn't look annoyed in the slightest this time, watching Louis run back to the field with a stupid, stupid grin on his face.


	5. Chapter 5

_Sis, why do you still hang out with him? You know what he's like! He beat me up! And a lot of other people! He's bad news!_

The seventeen-year-old stepped into the apartment, with her fifteen-year-old brother desperately waving his arms around to convince her. She can't make his and Elle Sid's game today, she's got a lot of homework to get done. That, and there's a downpour outside. She can only hope those boys can still play okay with the field so slippery.

_I don't hang out with him as much as he just follows me around. Besides, I'll just punch his face in if he tries anything like what he did with you before._ _He's a nightmare, but he acts a lot like a little kid. He's not hard to handle._

_ You've seen how he acts around you! He wants something from you! Napoleon's dangerous! What if he tries to pull a - I-I don't know, something bad on you?!_

For some reason, that strikes a nerve. Even after she'd socked him the first time they met, Louis had proven to be nothing more than an eager, impulsive idiot. It all came back - all those times she'd kicked him straight between his legs, all the times he'd swiped her phone or binder only for her to get it back with ease, all the times he'd laughed so brightly with an almost endearing child-like innocence.

She remembered the time he first started bugging her, trailing after her almost everywhere, constantly talking her ear off with that annoying buzzy voice of his. She remembered the way he would clench his fists when he was excited, the way he would grin, teeth showing whenever they joked around.

_ He won't. He's not the type._

The girl's brother stared at her, jaw falling slack in shock before regaining his composure, throwing off his shoes before scampering after her.

_ What're you talking about? He's a delinquent, he - !_

_ Stop talking. You're wasting your breath._

The boy stared at her in surprise, seeing the passive look in her eyes.

_That dumbass has had plenty of chances to try and beat me, kiddo. He's never touched a hair on my head._

The girl goes to her room without another word, her backpack slipping from her shoulders before she pulls out her papers and readings. She sorts through them before finding what she was looking for, the tip of her pen scribbling words as she lets her mind drift.

All she sees is a flash of warm and obnoxious gold and blue behind her eyes, and the plastic rod in her hand snaps in half.

She curses.


	6. Chapter 6

Her younger brother quite disliked Louis Napoleon, it was no secret - he hated how haughty and cocky the boy was. He acted as if he ruled the world, doing and saying what he pleased. That included pulling some witchcraft out of his ass and doing something to his sister to make her hang around a guy like Louis Napoleon, the infamous hooligan.

The boy sent Louis a glare whenever he had a chance, but the older blond would either give her younger brother a complacent smirk or simply just ignore him.

_Looks like princess's got a guard dog._

Louis had mocked him once, a smug look in his eyes.

_Too bad she told you to stand down, puppy._

The girl's brother was furious, seething, but even as he clenched his fist, ready to just punch that stupid grin off his face, he knew his sister would be angry with him. He didn't know why the girl let Louis loiter around her like that, sauntering along behind her with a skip in his step, like he was the happiest he'd been in his life.

Her brother hated it. He hated that look he always wore, he hated that slant of his shoulders and the leaning hip, he hated those eyes that always antagonized him, looking down on him. So naturally he almost slammed the door in Louis's face when he went to check who rang the doorbell, hoping the ongoing downpour to discourage the blond from trying to come in again. The boy wasn't expecting a strong hand to stop it just before it shut, but not forcing it open again.

_What the hell are you doing here, asshole?_

_ I want to talk to your sister._

_ Well she's busy right now, so kindly screw off._

_ She's not busy. She's always done with her homework by now. She's got time._

The younger brother glared up at the oddly calm Louis, but is surprised when he realizes none of that usual anger or cockiness is in his eyes. They were blank, almost _dead_. His clothes are weighed down by the amount of rain water they have soaked in, sticking to his body, the same for some of his golden hair. With how dark it is outside, the only light provided by the small lamp outside the apartment door, his expression is a little difficult to see.

_Who's at the door?_

The boy tensed upon hearing his sister's voice, Louis's head perking a little. His gaze regained a little warmth as a familiar girl opened the door further, eyes locking with his.

_Oh. It's you._

_ Yeah._

There's a long moment of awkward silence before she heaves out a sigh.

_Get in here, Leon. You're soaking wet._

_ Sis - !_

_ It's fine, kiddo. I'll take it from here._

The sudden lack of animosity in the girl startles her brother a bit, so used to the irritation popping a vein somewhere whenever Louis as much as showed his face.

_...fine._

The boy's gaze lingered on the taller blond, cautious, before quietly going back to his room and shutting the door. The two senior years stood there for a moment before she disappeared around the corner, coming back a moment later with a towel.

_Come on, take your shoes off. You're gonna drag in mud otherwise._

Louis obeys wordlessly, but there's no urgency nor enthusiasm to his movements, looking more dreary than anything. He lets her place a hand in the small of his back, nudging him along and guiding him to a wooden chair in the main room, a mix of a dining room and a kitchen, with an older TV in the corner. It's on, but the volume is low, the news murmured out and rendered almost impossible to hear by the rain pounding down. The girl sits him down, before starting to dry his hair in silence.

_Seriously, what the hell are you doing out here at this hour? It's almost midnight._

_ We lost eight to zero._

She pauses in her movements, hearing Louis's soft mutter. Shadows cast over his eyes, but they're undoubtedly aimed toward the ground, disheartened. The girl tilts his head up, hands still hidden by the small towel, staring at him sternly. But he doesn't laugh or roll his eyes, he just stares right back.

The sound of a hard impact makes her brother jump a little, rushing to his door and carefully opening it. But he's surprised when he sees them standing, the chair on the ground, a leg broken off. Louis's nose is buried deep into the crook of her neck, holding her so close, almost desperately. The girl doesn't push him away, she loosely wraps her arms around his larger frame, tracing small circles on his back with her fingers.

_Never give me that look again, Leon. That's not you._

The blond doesn't reply, merely tightening his grasp.

_Sorry._

_ What happened to 'princess'?_

She teases him, and he chuckles weakly.

_I thought you hated that nickname._

The girl laughs softly - she laughs for the first time, at something he said.

_You're not Louis Napoleon if you're not calling me some obnoxious nickname._


	7. Chapter 7

_To think that senior high is officially over..._

The three walk down the street together, the girl on the far left, the short-haired blond on the far right with their third friend in the middle.

_Yeah. Which is good news, since that means I won't have to see Leon's ugly face every day._

_ Thanks, sweetheart._

He shouts in protest when she smacks his head with her school bag. Elle Sid sighs, but there's a fond look in his eyes as they quarrel. If they stop talking to her because they become busy as athletes, what will she do? Well, they could just call, not to mention she's an athlete herself. She'll be representing France in the 800 meter freestyle in the upcoming Olympics the same year they participate in men's football, so she'll be on the TV with them.

_Are you coming to Japan with us for the World Youth Cup?_

_I can't just miss my favorite blond idiots playing their hardest, can I?_

Her warm words are unexpected by both boys, blinking owlishly, but they're not displeased. They're actually quite happy.

_Really?!_

Louis looks elated, Elle Sid smiling a little at the look on her face. It's a rare, soft expression, slightly amused.

_You're forgetting who you're talking to, dunce. I'm supposed to be part of this group too. Why would I let up a chance to see you guys play now that school's out?_

They descend into a comfortable and warm silence, finally reaching Elle Sid's home. They bid their casual farewells, before she and Louis are left alone, walking down the sidewalk, neither saying a word. They know they're walking close to one another, they know that there's no reason to feel uneasy. The two pause in front of her apartment building, gazing forward before she steps forward, opening the gates. She's about to say goodbye, but:

_Hey princess, I have a question._

_...? What is it?_

_ I..._

Louis actually trails off, that overconfident air flickering for a moment, but it's back full blast so quickly that she has to blink twice to make sure she saw right.

_Nevermind. I'll ask later, it's not urgent._

The young woman eyes him suspiciously before rolling her eyes with a snort.

_Whatever you say, Leon. See ya._

_ Later, princess._

He stalks off in an oddly still silence, not knowing her gaze is trailed to his back, brows furrowed.

What was that all about?


	8. Chapter 8

_Did this brat really have to come along too?_

Louis grunted, eyeing her brother. The younger boy shot him a snarl, bending his knees a little, almost like a wild animal.

_Damn, he's gone feral. You sure you shouldn't just leave him with the police?_

_You piece of - !_

She heaves out a sigh, sweeping her brother's legs from under him and kneeing Louis straight in the gut. Elle Sid stands there calmly as they keel over, groaning in pain, barely paying them any mind despite the stares they're getting. This is much too normal to gain his attention.

_You two calm your asses down, we have an airplane to get to. Leon, I gotta take 'im with me because our parents are busy and he needs someone to keep him from dying. And kid, even if we're not on the team, we're still here with representatives of France. Acting like this when we get there isn't ideal._

The two boys fall silent, standing up again. The share a glance that said _This is far from over,_ but straighten their backs almost comically when the young woman clears her throat with a death glare. Elle Sid finally looked up from his sheet of paper.

_Come on, you guys. We have to get to our gate._

The four all make their way there in silence, the team's captain guiding them, naturally adopting the leader's role. Elle Sid is almost unimpressed with the glares and looks Louis and her younger brother are shooting at each other. Why did they both have to be so childish?

He couldn't help the groan that came along in the plane when he realized they were seated right next to each other.

_Switch with me, I'll sit next to Napoleon._

The blond looks relieved, and the younger brother looks like he just won the world's biggest competition. Elle Sid is stuck on _make-sure-Louis-Napoleon-doesn't-do-anything-too-stupid-and-crash-the-plane_ duty the whole half a day they're in that metal tube.


	9. Chapter 9

Her nose wrinkled.

_There's too much testosterone here. My allergies are acting up._

The three boys at her sides laugh at her displeasure.

_I'm gonna find a corner and sit there. I don't like crowds._

_ You're our manager! You're supposed to stay with us!_

Louis whines like a child, brows furrowing.

_I'm not your manager, dunce. Your coach just stuffed me in a France Youth jacket and told me I could sit on the bench with him._

_That means you're our manager._

Elle Sid points out, making her hum in thought.

_That's true. What a pain in the ass._

_Hey sis, one of the Japanese people is staring at you._

The three high school graduates look to where her brother was pointing, her eyes locking with curious brown. The Japanese boy doesn't back down, not wavering. It's a young man around their age with lightly tanned skin and short pulled-back black hair. He doesn't seem aggressive as much as he does wary.

_You boys give me a second. I'll go ask him what he wants._

_ Princess - !_

_ I'll be fine, I can handle myself. You know this, Leon._

Elle Sid and her brother both snort, Louis deflating. But his blue eyes are boring into the Japanese boy's head, suspicious.

_You need something from me?_

The unnamed player blinks in surprise.

_You speak Japanese?_

_ You're not answering my question._

There's a stern look on her face, eyes heavy. They are serious and grounded, and yet he doesn't feel like she's trying to threaten him.

_I was just wondering why the France Youth has a girl in a player's jacket. This is a boys-only tournament, so..._

The Japanese male rubs the nape of his nape. He feels oddly put on the spot.

_ Oh - I'm not a player. I'm just the manager, apparently. I may have to ditch the position, though, since I've got my own sports to do._

_ You're an athlete?_

The young man looks shocked. Hearing about a female athlete was rare, and meeting one was even rarer. She looks a little irked, but her expression barely changes.

_Yes, I am. I occasionally play with the boys, but I'm a marathon swimmer - I'm aiming for the Olympics._

_ You must be really good, then._

_I like to think so. I have to hard carry my team every time._

Her disgruntled voice makes him laugh a little. She tells him her name, and the name of her team.

_I'm Makoto Soda, a defender of the Japanese Youth Team - I wear the number seven jersey. You're not half bad, actually. I was kind of expecting someone a little more rude, I've had sour experiences with French in the past._

_ Ah, right. Leon mentioned that he got in a fight with a Japanese player, that must have been you._

He blinks.

_You're friends with Napoleon?_

_ More like he follows me around and nags me constantly, but yeah, I guess so._

They both snort. The somewhat tense air from before has dissipated entirely. Neither of them notice, but someone else has. A familiar voice speaks in French - he recognizes it, but Makoto can't understand what it's saying.

_Princess, you might wanna see this. Japan's causing trouble again with Italy._

_ Damn, already?_

The young woman sighs with a light roll of her eyes, glancing back to Makoto.

_Sorry, I have to go now. Nice talking to you, Soda-kun._

The two France representatives walked to a ring of people, Louis sending the Japanese defender a warning look that made Makoto raise a brow. It isn't until he sees the blond's hand on the small of her back that he understands. He almost grimaces.

Since when did idiots like him get girls like her?


	10. Chapter 10

The water feels so nice on her skin - it's been so long since she's been in any contact with water besides taking a shower. But she's been here for hours, guessing from the glass windows along the upper parts of the tall walls and ceiling that it's late. So she steps out, pulling off her cap and goggles and throwing a towel over her head, drying herself off a bit before leaving the white cloth around her neck and hefting her bag over her shoulder. She should finish now, before anyone starts announcing she was probably murdered.

The room is dead silent as she heads to the door. But when the girl opens it, she notices someone there.

_You're France's manager..._

It's one of the German players - if she didn't recognize his face, his accent while speaking English would certainly have given it away.

_Unwillingly, but yeah. You need something, Karl Heinz Schneider?_

The blond studies her carefully for a moment.

_No, I just wasn't expecting to see anyone else up at this hour. It's almost one in the morning._

_Me neither, frankly. I'm only awake because I found a pool - I swim, so I can't stay away from them for too long._

Karl nods in understanding - as another athlete, he knows where she's coming from.

_What're you doing up this late, Schneider?_

_ Exploring - I couldn't sleep, and found myself wandering. This place is much larger than I thought it would be - I didn't even know it had a pool._

_ Neither did I._

She shrugs simply before humming softly. Karl blinks in confusion, seeing her scanning him over. A moment passes before she breathes out a chuckle, patting his shoulder once.

_You're pretty strong, hm, German boy? You've got good posture._

_ Good posture?_

_ Posture is important, Schneider. It tells me everything - your personality, your strength, even some things about your past. You're pretty confident, huh? A bit more humble than another blond striker I know. I like you._

The girl offers something along the lines of a cheeky grin, and he can't help how his lip twitches up a little.

_You're a strange one, France's manager. I don't think I've heard anyone say that before._

_ I'd be shocked if you had._

She chuckles, before she sees someone else.

_There you are, princess._

Louis's expression is somewhere between cautious and relieved.

_Your brother was nagging me for hours about where you were, tell him next time!_

_ I did._

She deadpans, raising a brow when he groans.

_That brat did it just to annoy me, then. Come on, let's go back before he sends the whole team after us._

_ Alright, alright._

The girl laughs a little, her hand slipping from Karl's shoulder, locking eyes with him for a split second. She offers a polite smile, switching back to English for a moment.

_I'll probably see you around, then, Schneider. Good night._

He nods in return, watching the two members of France Youth round the corner. Louis and she both walk in silence until they reach her room. The blond pauses when she turns the doorknob, making her pause and look over at him but he's grabbing her shoulders before she can ask what's wrong. The girl would have kicked or punched him again for doing something like that so suddenly but she hesitates when she sees an angry yet desperately pleading look in his eyes.

_Don't just disappear like that, princess, you're killing me here! And then I find you talking to some guy from another team for the second time at one in the morning - !_

She pats his cheek twice playfully.

_ Come on, Leon. You can't say stuff like that to me without being my boyfriend first._

Louis is in a shocked silence before she laughs at the face he's making.

_I'm kidding. I won't do it again, Leon. You've got my word._

There's a tense weight on their shoulders before his expression almost turns into one of hurt. His grasp on her shoulders tightens a bit.

_Princess, you can't just say stuff like that to me and then play it off. You're giving me mixed signals here._

She blinks at him before seeing something unreadable in his eyes, his voice softer than usual. She can't tell what that something is, but whatever it is, it's strong. The girl stares straight back at him, looking slightly surprised. Several moments of dead still silence pass before he realizes how close she is. Louis's spine straightens when she snags his chin, tilting his head down a little more and pulling him in, their noses brushing.

_Well you'll just have to straighten them up yourself, Louis Napoleon, because I can't be the one doing all the heavy-lifting here._

The girl pulls away from him, that foreboding smirk of hers leaving the blond's heart to stop. Then she spins on her heel and leaves him in the hallway, red-faced and stammering.


	11. Chapter 11

_You're up early._

Louis stands outside her room, looking both tense and a bit exhausted. The slight bags under his eyes tell her that he didn't sleep much last night. They remain in silence for a moment before she crosses her arms, raising a brow as she leans her weight on her right hip.

_You need something? If not, I still have to finish taking notes on Argentina._

_ I, uh..._

He rubs the nape of his neck nervously.

_I wanted to talk about the last time we talked. Last night._

_ Oh. Right._

An awkward pause drags by before Louis finds his eyes refusing to look at her, even if he wants to talk about this more seriously than he can right now. He's incredibly anxious, and he wishes he wasn't. She sighs after a few more seconds.

_What about it?_

_ What do you mean, 'what about it'?!_

He almost sounds incredulous that she doesn't seem to know. When she laughs at him, he grumbles upon realizing she was just pulling his leg again. But he's not really all that angry.

_You're the worst, princess._

_ You and me both, Leon. Nothing's changed._

At this, the blond can't help the snort that leaves him.

_I came here to ask you something._

Her silence tells him she wants the blond to continue. He opens his mouth, but doesn't speak until a few moments later, seeming to have regained some level of self-confidence.

_Do you like me?_

A moment of dead silence passes, cut off after nearly thirty seconds when she heaves out another tired and annoyed sigh. Before he can ask her why she's making that face, Louis makes a sound of surprise when the girl grabs his collar with both hands. She pulls him into the hotel room and kicks the door shut behind him to slam his back against it, pinning him. He's at a loss for words - he didn't know she could let out that much force in such a short span of time. He knew she was strong, but this? Not in his books.

_What kind of question is that, dunce?_

She's leaning so close to him again, that smirk on her face again. Louis doesn't dare try and move, not when he knows she could easy incapacitate him if he did something she didn't like, especially in a situation like this. He felt a little light-headed and dizzy, but he somehow calms despite the girl pressing her entire body flush against his own. A moment passes before he smirks in return, his more sly and amused.

_I wanted to hear you say it first._

She snorts, and something sparks in her eyes.

_Just kiss me, asshole._

And he does.


	12. Chapter 12

_Yo, you two._

_ Oh, hey princess. Don't you have practice?_

_What, you want me to leave?_

_ I never said that!_

Louis shouts in protest, making her laugh. She hops down from the bleachers, tossing him and Elle Sid each a bottle of cold water. It's a familiar scenario, one that they've experienced countless times ever since the last year of junior high. It feels like so long ago that they first met, and it really has. For years, they've been best friends. And for a mere fraction of them all, Louis has been able to proudly call her his.

He brags about it often.

_It starts so soon._

She hums, leaning back on the grass next to the two blonds, both sitting down just beyond the outer border of the field.

_Yes. We'll fight our hardest._

Elle Sid nods, Louis studying the two silently for a moment.

_What kinda attitude is that?_

He grunts out, crossing his arms as he lays down as well, body aching from hours of practice.

_Don't say 'we'll fight our hardest', say 'we'll win.'_

The other two exchange looks before they smile a little and she reminds him:

_It's the Olympics, Leon. You do both._

The three remain in silence for a long moment before Louis groans, sitting up.

_What time is it?_

_ It's twenty past nine._

_ Oh damn, already?_

_ We should probably head home._

_ Why else do you think I came to check on you two idiots? Leon wasn't home yet, so that means you obviously weren't either._

_ Fair._

_ Aw, is my princess worried about me?_

She kicks him in the side with no mercy, Louis yelping in pain.

_Shut your mouth and get changed before I drag you home on the concrete myself._

_ Yes ma'am, yes ma'am..._

Elle Sid laughs softly, a bubble of happiness in his chest with nostalgia coming soon after, so grateful that they haven't changed even after all these years. Louis leaving the field with her about ten minutes later, waving farewell to the midfielder before he and his girlfriend are off. They walk home in silence, but he smiles a little when she slides her hand into his. After they reach their apartment and he locks the door, she speaks up.

_You're a dumbass, have I told you that yet?_

_ Love you too, princess._

All that's thrown his way this time is an amused look.

_You better._


End file.
